Halfelven Heart
by Swiftest Willow
Summary: When Legolyssa, Princess of Mirkwood, came to Rivendell to tell of Gollum's escape, she expected condemnation, not love.


Halfelven Hearts  
by Swiftwillow  
  
***  
  
Legolyssa, Princess of Mirkwood, weaved her way through the boughs of the trees of the forest of the city of Rivendell. Like all elves, she made no sound, but her coming was well-marked by the songbirds that happily greeted her coming. Even the sun seemed glad of her arrival. It embraced her warmly.  
  
"Alas," Lyssa told the forest, "that my news is not as sweet as your welcome. I hope we will not be scolded for letting that sickly gollum creature escape. But my father has told me stories about Lord Elrond and his harsh justice... I hope he will be not unkind to me. But will he?" She shivered... it suddenly did not feel so warm in the forest.  
  
For Legolyssa was a messenger from her father the king, bearing ill news to the House of Elrond. She had always lived very far away from Rivendell, and knew few of the people there, so she was nervous. She was also very young for an elf, born only a few hundred years ago, and she had seen the lord Elrond but once. Then he had visited Mirkwood, and she had laughed and sat upon his knee. But now she foresaw there would be no laughter.  
  
As she approached two identical elves stepped out of the forest with their arrows raised, but when they saw who she was they lowered them. "Ah, Legolyssa, how well I know your fair face," said Eladen and Elrohir. "It is good to see you, though life is dark here. Trouble approaches, I can tell by the sadness that haunts my fathers face. Perhaps you will bring some sweetness into these fell times."  
  
"Alas," Lyssa replied, "it is not meant to be. I bring only knews of further strife." No more would she say to the elves, for although they were princes in their own right, her message was meant for Elrond alone.  
  
It worried her greatly that Elrond was upset before she had even brought the news. Dread emerging in her heart, she followed the brothers to Rivendell, no longer stepping lightly on the path.  
  
***  
  
When they reached the door, the brothers gave her sympathetic looks and moved aside. She took a breath and walked in, her steps slow and deliberate. She had been made to practice the walk of a princess, beautiful and proud.  
  
Yet with one glance at the elf lord, she felt humbled.  
  
"Ah, Legolyssa Greenleaf," Elrond said, his voice flowing over her name. "It has been long since I spoke with one from Mirkwood. Bring you good tidings?"  
  
As he spoke Lyssa studdied him. Despite the lightness of his words and the way he said her name, he seemed to hide a weariness. His features were young yet old, but in any case strong, and it seemed to her he used that strength to keep the weariness hidden. Before she could speak, he had continued.  
  
"I remember the first I saw you, so thin and small, your golden hair falling past your waist to your very feet. I thought to myself what a match you would make with Eladen or Elrohir - have you met them?"  
  
"Yes," she whispered, "they let me in."  
  
"Anyway, I shall not bother you with reminises. What is your news?"  
  
"I bring you tidings of the creature gollum who was left in Mirkwood's keeping. I am sorry, but the creature has escaped."  
  
Elrond looked disapointed, almost bitter. "Alas, the King of Mirkwood has let me down. My friend, how could you do this to me?"  
  
But Lyssa could not let the blame be set on her father. "I must admit to you that it was I who was in charge of setting the guards - I who counseled leniency. It is my fault, not my father's." She knelt down in penance before the elf lord, her hair falling in golden waves around her face.  
  
"Look at me," commanded Elrond, and he gently grasped her chin and lifted it up. He searched her eyes.  
  
Along with anger and despair, and a surprising compassion, there seemed something else glowing in his eyes. It made her shiver. "At least you have shown one of the signs of royalty - responsibility. It is unusual in one so young."  
  
Lyssa blushed again, but would not move away from this strangely powerful Elf Lord. He met her eyes, and she felt as though he was reading her soul. Then he looked away and said in a cool voice, "Leave me now."  
  
Lyssa could do nothing besides what he asked.  
  
***  
  
The next day she spent among the folk of Rivendell, and she saw Elrond not once, but ever was his reproving tone in her mind. Walking down one of the halls, trying not to think of him and his disapointment, she spotted a boy walking down the halls.  
  
"Halt!" she cried, and the man stopped, but when she turned she saw it was not a boy but a tiny man, and curiosity overcame her and she beckoned him closer.  
  
"Who are you?" she asked.  
  
"My name's Merry Brandybuck, who are you?" the man said pleasently.  
  
"You may call me Lyssa. Forgive me if this is rude, but... what are you?"  
  
"Oh, me?" Merry asked, with such a smile on his face that Lyssa thought it fit his name. "I'm a hobbit."  
  
"A hobbit?"  
  
"No one seems to have heard of us much. We live a ways away in the shire."  
  
Lyssa nodded. "And what brings you here?"  
  
"Oh," said Merry, "I can't talk about that."  
  
Lyssa was not used to people saying no to her, and her pride had been to fully humbled before to let the little man just walk away from her without saying a thing.  
  
"Why not?" she asked.  
  
"Oh, it's a secret," he said.  
  
"Does it have anything to do with gollum?" she asked.  
  
Merry gave a little gasp of surprise. "How did you know?"  
  
She held out a hand, and one of the songbirds that had followed her along her trail fluttered out to her fingers. "My little birdie told me."  
  
Merry smiled uncertainly. "Well, I can't say anything more. I can't tell anyone, not even you, Lady. I wouldn't want to say the wrong thing and destroy the world, after all."  
  
"Destroy the world?" Lyssa asked.  
  
"I was only joking!" Merry protested. But Lyssa suspected he was not.  
  
***  
  
She spent the next several days gathering information where she could, and she grew worried with each thing she found out. And guilty for letting Gollum escape, for he was tied up in this somehow. She saw Merry occasionally, but Elrond more frequently, for he often wanted to hear of Mirkwood.  
  
Sometimes he asked about her father and her family and herself, and she was able to answer with ease. But often he asked about wars and battles, and though she had memorized the reports she was never allowed to fight herself, and so knew not of the things most important to him.  
  
Once she complained to him of this. He merely chuckled and told her that they would all have to fight soon enough. Then he changed the subject to books or music, and these were her favorite times. Elrond had a voice that could be fearsome as winter or light as spring, and full and rich as the summer. When he sang softly and slowly, she felt herself lulled to sleep as she was by her father, only there was something else in his voice when he sang to her, even as when he looked at her there was something else in his eyes.  
  
***  
  
The night before the council was to be held, when all the feasting was finished and the most had gone to bed, Lyssa noticed Elrond missing and went to seek him out.  
  
Elrond stood outside upon the dais, his form dark and striking beneath the stars. He seemed to be fighting something not in the distant sky but within himself.  
  
"Elrond?" she said hesitantly, forgetting to address him with 'Lord', but he seemed not to mind. He seemed distressed at something else. "What is wrong? Surely it cannot be that bad?"  
  
Elrond looked at her with melancholy eyes. "Youth and beauty I expected from a daughter of Mirkwood. Intelligence and bravery I would have gambled on, too. But the tidings you brought are harsh, and you remind me only of the innocense we all must lose. Understand you that, Lyssa?"  
  
"Experience isn't always painful," murmered Lyssa.  
  
"But yours will be, if I cannot protect you. Suffering will come to all the elves, and I cannot stop it."  
  
Lyssa placed an awkward hand on his, and for a moment he gripped her fingertips. Lyssa gasped inwardly at the feeling of his warm skin, but let nothing show, for she herself was uncertain of the turmoil she was feeling.  
  
With a startling suddenness Elrond pulled his hand from hers.  
  
"Tomorow will be a long day," he said, "and not for the weary. Get some rest."  
  
But Lyssa had not told him the idea that had come to her as she gathered information from Merry and others. "Wait, I would speak with you," she said.  
  
Elrond shook his head, "But I not with you. I must go." And before she could protest again he swept out the door.  
  
  
***  
  
Lyssa sat the next day near the outskirts of the council, content to hear of this mysterious danger and hesitant to reveal Gollum's disapearance. She was aksed in time, however, and she told of Gollum's escape with great sorrow. Everyone seemed to forgive her, and for that she was grateful.  
  
When all had been discussed, a company began to form, representing all species. Her heart was chilled by the danger, but Lyssa was proud, and with a firm voice she volunteered. Elrond seemed about to voice his disaproval but he held back. They gathered nine of them, including the wizard Mithrandir, two men, and a dwarf, as well as the hobbit Merry and some of his friends.  
  
"It will be dangerous," Elrond said, "and you must listen closely to all I have to say, for it would not be wise to forget it. I would help you in any way I can."  
  
"You should lead us, Elrond!" Lyssa said before she could stop herself. "You more than any would know the way. Together with Gandalf we will be unbeatable."  
  
Everyone seemed to agree to Lyssa's suggestion. But Elrond himself looked angrily at her. As the council broke up amidst cheers and well wishes, he gestured for her to follow him.  
  
"You are unhappy," Lyssa whispered, uncertain what she had done wrong. She never did anything right around the hard, handsome elf.  
  
"Indeed I am unhappy! Why did you not speak with me before announcing this plan of yours?"  
  
"Because you would not speak with me!" cried Lyssa spitefully. "Why did you brush me off so last night? 'Twas not any way to treat a princess!"  
  
Elrond looked at her wrathfully, though again Lyssa got the sense that he was hiding something.  
  
"Why," she said softly, "are you so against my plan?"  
  
"There should be nine," he said. "It is symbolic."  
  
"That isn't reason enough to lose a leader such as you."  
  
Elrond only turned away. As he headed towards the door, he muttered over his shoulder.  
  
"I am not against the plan. You would not understand."  
  
But Lyssa would not let him leave this time, whether he was an elf lord or not. She grabbed at his hand.  
  
"Then help me to understand. I am so confused. You would battle darkness but you will not guard the ring? You make no sense to me. Your words and your actions, what you say and the way you make me feel - " she stopped, aghast.  
  
"I must leave, now," Elrond forced the words out, then spun and left.  
  
***  
  
End Part 1/2 


End file.
